obligation

noun

ob-luh-GAY-shuhn/ˌɑ.bləˈɡeɪ.ʃən/Sayob-li-GAY-shuhnUK/ˌɒb.lɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/AUS/ˌɔb.lɪˈɡæɪ.ʃən/

5 meanings of obligation

1
nouncountable or uncountable
A duty to do or not do something, set by law, custom, or right and wrong.
Like a promise you must keep, even when no one is watching.
She felt an obligation to help her elderly neighbor.
Paying taxes is a legal obligation for everyone who works.
Similarduty, responsibility, requirement
Note
2
nouncountable or uncountable
Something a person must do because of rules, laws, or their own sense of right and wrong.
Like a path you have to walk because the rules say so.
Caring for their children is an obligation parents take seriously.
He saw helping the poor as his obligation.
Similarduty, responsibility, commitment
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of tying yourself to someone through a promise, law, or duty.
Like tying a knot that links you to another person.
By signing the loan, she took on an obligation to repay it.
Their obligation to each other grew with every promise they made.
Similarcommitment
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A legal deal that says a person must do or avoid a certain action, or the paper that records it.
Like a written promise that a court can hold you to.
The bank asked her to sign an obligation before lending the money.
He kept the obligation locked in his desk drawer.
Similarcontract, agreement, bond
Note
5
nouncountable
A reason to feel thankful to someone because of a kindness or favor they did for you.
Like a thank-you you still owe someone for a big favor.
After all his kindness, I am under a real obligation to him.
She felt a lasting obligation to the teacher who believed in her.
Similardebt
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin obligare, meaning 'to bind,' from ob- ('to') and ligare ('to bind').